buckle 1 of 2

verb

Definition of bucklenext
1
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure the flimsy bridge buckled under the weight of the caravan of trucks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention buckled himself down and finished the assignment in record time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

buckle

2 of 2

noun

as in loop

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buckle
Verb
The Lorenzo can be worn two ways, with or without a fine leather strap threaded through the gold Eye of the Needle, which can be buckled across the foot to create a leg-lengthening effect. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 The historic Long Beach boardwalk buckled after a barrage of storms over the last month. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
The military returned not only Tischler's remains but also his helmet, belt buckle, and combat boots. — J.d. Miles, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 The new timepiece comes with a black alligator strap, which allows the pjnk-gold case to truly pop on the wrist, that be interchanged with ease and complete with another touch of pink-old on the buckle. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckle
  1. collapse
  2. devote
  3. loop
  4. go
  5. apply
  6. fold
  7. give
  8. spiral
Verb
  • In one of the videos, a policeman is seen repeatedly shooting the attacker, who is lying on the street, only to later slowly collapse himself to the ground.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Satellite imagery shows that in Caraballeda, 63% of all high-rise towers built by a special public housing authority collapsed.
    — Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Massachusetts devotes substantial attention to housing, entrepreneurship and the racial wealth gap.
    — Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Students who offload their coursework to AI can devote themselves to the clubs, internships, and leadership roles that become the standard everyone is measured against when interviewing for jobs.
    — Alana Kaufman, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of devote
Noun
  • Its stated goal is to build continuous defensive loops that find and fix weaknesses before attackers do.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The husband freed one loop, then another, and used the momentum to pull the dog toward him and out of the car.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of loop
Verb
  • All but 10% of those funds would go towards bolstering the state’s healthcare system.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • His tariffs and, in particular, go-it-alone war with Iran stoked inflation and sent the cost of gas, diesel, groceries and fertilizer soaring.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of go
Verb
  • Proponents say the measure applies to eight categories of projects California communities need to expand housing, improve civic infrastructure and promote green energy.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • On the other hand, many of these albums are timeless and continue to resonate, and today’s streaming culture has embraced exhuming catalog music — something that applies not only to old singles, but to old albums.
    — Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of apply
Noun
  • Because of the middle fold, there are no buttons on the left-hand side of the phone.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Years of smiling, laughing, or making any number of facial expressions can lead to deeper folds and wrinkles over time.
    — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of fold
Verb
  • Joji Waites, director of flight safety, policy and regulation at the British Air Line Pilots Association, said airline assessors grade a threat as red, amber or green, but that an amber verdict would never be given if the plane is airborne.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Wiles gave Trump her resignation Thursday night, a person familiar with the events told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the private conversation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of give
Noun
  • Meanwhile, film and TV shoot days in Hollywood’s historic home, Los Angeles, are in a spiral despite efforts being made to cut red tape and boost incentives offered to productions to shoot locally.
    — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026
  • This adaptation spiral can continue even as economic and human losses mount.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of spiral

Browse Nearby Words

bucking up
buckle
buckled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckle. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on buckle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buckle

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